Final cut day for the NFL is on August 27, 10 days after Cincinnati’s second preseason game with the Chicago Bears.
Zac Taylor has already decided to give the starters a rest this weekend so that his staff can evaluate the backups. Typically in practice the NFL hopefuls only have three-straight reps in practice compared to a starter who would get five reps in a row. Guys that aren't considered roster locks have to utilize every single opportunity to make a good impression on Cincinnati’s football staff.
One of those roster hopefuls is linebacker Maema Njongmeta. He didn’t start playing football until his freshman year of high school. The sport wasn’t on his radar until one fateful day in 8th grade.
Former Northwestern receiver Cameron Green (son of Mark Green, 5th round draft pick in 1989 by Chicago) came to his middle school. Green was a team captain and helped Njonmeta’s future high school, Stevenson win an IHSA 8A state championship in 2014.
As you can imagine, his letterman jacket was decked out, and that made a big impression on Njongmeta which was the day he decided he wanted to go out for the football team.
“I saw him with his letterman, I thought he was the coolest dude ever,” Njongmeta told BengalsTalk.com. “That was the genesis. I was like alright, I want to be like him.”
Fighting to play football is nothing new to Njongmeta. He’s been fighting to play since he was a teenager.
Njongmeta’s parents, Leo and Nenge Lynda, weren't keen on the idea of their son going out for Stevenson High School’s football team. After immigrating from Cameroon, West Africa they had their sights set on education, both with Ph.D’s and expecting their son to focus on his education too.
“They never wanted me to play football, it’s all about education,” Njongmeta told BengalsTalk.com. “They both have PhD’s. It’s education first in our family.”
Their son finally convinced them to let him play and the next year, the young linebacker went to sign up again for his sophomore year at Stevenson.
“My mom was surprised, she thought it was a one-year deal and I was like, ‘no, we’re doing this. Like we are doing this,'” Njongmeta laughed. “I started there and it’s taken me this far so it has been a blessing.”
The 23-year old linebacker almost never made it to Wisconsin to play football for the Badgers. After receiving a C- in AP Calculus his junior year of high school his dad was considering the idea of making him quit the sport completely. He had to struggle and fight to be able to play again that year.
“My dad was like, ‘You either finish with a B or higher or you’re quitting.’ I never worked harder for a grade. I remember getting that grade and I got a B- and I shed a tear because it meant so much to me,” Njongmeta said.
Njongmeta has gone from fighting for a qualifying calculus grade to play high school football to fighting for a roster spot at the highest level in Cincinnati.
“The first week I was here I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is the NFL,'" he said. "I walk by Joe Burrow every day and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, there’s Joe Burrow’ and now it's like, 'alright cool, this is my job now.'”
Njongmeta led the team with 10 total tackles and 2 passes defensed against the Buccaneers in the Bengals' preseason opener. He made a splash that day, but can he be consistent? That will be a question the coaching staff hopes to have answered by the end of this upcoming weekend.
"I think he's working his tail off," Logan Wilson said. "He's doing everything he can to try to make this roster and he's defninitely putting his best foot out there."
“It’s nothing different from what the coaches have asked us to do every day since they gave me an opportunity in this building,” Njongmeta said. “Execute at a high level, play enthusiastic team defense and do so at a consistent, play-after-play, series-after-series level.”
For Njongmeta the pressure extends past the football field this weekend.
The Njongmeta’s decided to raise their family in Buffalo Grove, Illinois which is a 40-minute drive north from the heart of Chicago. They’re all making the drive this upcoming weekend when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Chicago Bears on Saturday afternoon.
“I have family, I have middle school teachers, high school coaches, cousins, I have a lot of people coming so I’m very excited for this weekend.”
The starters are not expected to play on Saturday afternoon as they’ll take the majority of their reps during Thursday’s joint practice with the Bears.
Backups and roster spot hopefuls won’t have as many reps that day ahead of game time as Taylor and the rest of the coaching staff evaluate what players suit their team best. The best way to fit the roster puzzle together is by seeing when they can do in line game action.
Njongmeta should see a heavy load of work in front of his friends and family.
“To make it this far I think they’re very proud of me and excited to see me chase my dreams," he said. "God’s plan hasn’t failed me thus far so I’m going to stick to that and keep going.”
